I started the Whole30 program on a bit of a whim, so unlike previous food detox challenges I’ve done I didn’t put a whole lot of pre-planning or prep into Whole30. I was in “wing it” mode for the first couple of days, but by Day 3 I had made it to the grocery store and gotten down to business.
During the Whole30 program meals center around meat, seafood, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts and seeds. Foods that are off-limits include added sugar of any kind (this includes maple syrup and honey), alcohol, grains (including wheat, rice, oats, corn, quinoa), legumes (beans, soy, lentils, peanuts), dairy, corn and white potatoes.
Here’s a look at the meals (and recipes) I enjoyed during Week 1:
DAY 1
Meal 1: A 3 egg frittata with kale, scallions and Wildtree’s California Style Garlic Pepper Blend. (Not sure how to make a frittata? Check out my Kale & Feta Frittata post for instructions and add any Whole30-approved ingredients you like!)
Meal 2: Lettuce salad with ham, pepperoni, hard boiled egg, and sesame seeds, topped with EVOO and balsamic vinegar. (I later found out that pepperoni is not allowed because it contains sugar – rookie mistake!)
Meal 3: Wildtree’s Spanish Style Garlic Shrimp (part of my new “Refresh, Reset” Whole30 and Paleo-compliant freezer meals workshop) and homemade sweet potato chips.
DAY 2
Meal 1: Scrambled eggs with ham, kale, scallions, and Wildtree’s Rancher Steak Rub seasoning.
Meal 2: This day was a lunch on the run so I hit up a grocery store salad bar: Lettuce, spinach, shaved broccoli, carrots and red cabbage, bacon, hard-boiled egg and guacamole for my dressing.
Meal 3: Lettuce wraps of Mahi Mahi pan seared with Wildtree’s Chipotle Lime Rub, chopped kale and cilantro, and avocado mashed with lime juice and cumin.
By Day 3 I was getting my act together and took some time to do some prep that would help get me through the rest of the week, including:
Making a batch of Kale & Avocado Slaw
Prepping a Wildtree Crock Pot Chipotle Lime Chicken Freezer Meal
Prepping a Wildtree Spanish Style Garlic Shrimp Freezer Meal
Chopping a bunch of kale
Chopping a bunch of scallions
Grilling up a few chicken breasts
Making 2 servings of Roasted Winter Veggies
Hard-boiling a few eggs
Prepping and boiling Brussels spouts (2 servings)
Chopping bacon
Thawing a roast
Making extra salmon w/citrus salsa for dinner
All of this prep made my Whole30 life a whole lot easier as I entered into my work week and needed quick & easy meals to grab or cook up!
DAY 3
Meal 1: Brussels sprouts and bacon – I boiled the Brussels sprouts for 5 mins first to soften them, then I pan-fried the sprouts and a chopped piece of bacon in a skillet until done.
Meal 2: Balsamic roasted vegetables (carrots, parsnips, and sweet potato – a variation of this recipe) and grilled chicken breast.
Meal 3: Broiled Salmon with orange-avocado salsa, roasted broccoli, and orange slices.
DAY 4
Meal 1: Egg, kale, bacon, scallion frittata seasoned with Wildtree’s Rancher Steak Rub.
Meal 2: Leftover grilled chicken with balsamic roasted veggies.
Meal 3: Wildtree’s Crock Pot Chipotle Lime Chicken (a pre-prepped freezer meal).
DAY 5
Meal 1: Brussels sprouts with bacon.
Meal 2: Leftover Chipotle Lime Chicken.
Meal 3: Grilled mahi mahi with Wildtree’s Dill Dip Blend, and sweet potato pan-fried in coconut oil, parsley, salt and cinnamon.
DAY 6
Meal 1: Celery Root, Kale & Avocado Slaw
Meal 2: Lettuce salad with broccoli, carrots, red pepper, hard boiled eggs, sunflower seeds, guacamole and lemon juice.
Meal 3: Crock pot beef roast and carrots seasoned with Wildtree’s Rancher Steak Rub.
DAY 7
Meal 1: Scrambled eggs with bacon and scallions.
Meal 2: Piecing together some leftovers…Grilled Mahi Mahi with Orange-Avocado Salsa, Carrots with Wildtree’s Rancher Steak Rub, and Celery Root, Kale, and Avocado Slaw.
Meal 3: 2 hard boiled eggs and apple slices. This night’s dinner was thrown together in 52 seconds and eaten in the car on my way to a freezer meals workshop – thank goodness I already had those hard-boiled eggs in the fridge!
By the end of Week 1 I had survived an all-night preschooler puke-fest without turning to lattes the next morning (or wine) and managed to resist the big bucket of trick-o-treating candy. I consider those both wins.
So far I think variety in my food choices and menu has been the biggest help toward keeping me on track and not getting bored or tempted to eat something that’s not approved.
Any Whole30 veterans out there? What are some of your tips for success?
UPDATE: Continue following along on my Whole30 journey here:
Want to eat Paleo or complete the Whole30? Wildtree makes it easy! Check out All Things Wildtree for more details
My family eats a paleo diet, similar to whole 30 but a little less strict. The biggest tip I have is to plan, plan, plan. Every week I plan out all of our meals and snacks for the week. My kids can really eat a ton of food so this helps me insure that I have everything I need on hand without running to the store a million times a week. One of our favorite meals is from Practical Paleo – Thanksgiving meatballs with homemade cranberry relish and whipped cauliflower.
Such a great tip Jennifer – planning is so crucial. I’m in awe of your dedication to plan out every meal a week at a time. That’s amazing!! Thanks for sharing your favorite recipe. It sounds like the perfect thing to try this upcoming holiday season!
How are you feeling?!!! Were you feeling sluggish at first? Or more energy right off the bat? Sleeping well? I’m so curious about how all this great food is making you feel!!! Fill us in!
Great questions, Kim! During my first week I honestly couldn’t tell much of a difference with how I was feeling, but considering all the warnings I’d read about most people feeling pretty awful in the beginning I was lucky to pass through unscathed! I think it helped that I was already eating pretty clean before I started Whole30 and had already reduced gluten in my diet quite a bit, so maybe the changes weren’t as dramatic for my body. I’m currently halfway through and I keep thinking I don’t feel any differently, but then I realize it’s 9pm and I feel awesome – not tired or sluggish at all, so I’ve definitely got my energy levels back on track!! I’m a pretty good sleeper so I haven’t noticed much of a difference there, although I have been waking up earlier (naturally; no alarm clock) and feeling well-rested and ready to start my day so that’s fantastic! Overall, I’m loving these results!
Great!!!
I started reading up on Whole 30 a few nights ago; I’m really interested in giving it a try. Which brand of bacon do you use? I read that it’s really hard to find sugar-free bacon, and we love bacon in this house!
I’m actually not sure which brand it is. At first I bought Applegate Naturals Organic Bacon (because that’s what I always buy) but then I realized there is sugar in there. (I never thought to look for sugar as an ingredient in meat before this!) The last time I went to the store I asked the butcher for a pound of sugar-free bacon and that’s what I’m using now. I don’t know what the brand is but I’ll ask next time I go. Good luck to you if you decide to give it a try – you have nothing to lose and lots of really great benefits to gain!
I think you can find the bacon brand on their blog. It’s called Whole9, I think.
Great tip, Nichole – thank you!
Thanks for the inspiration! Our family is starting next week and I love your ideas!
Oh, how exciting! Good luck to you and your family, Krysta! I’d love to hear how you’re doing!
I’m on my third whole 30 and looking for more ideas! Keep posting! This was great!
Thank you so much, Jessie! Congrats on your third – wow!
ok Dusty you have inspired me to do it! Can you have feta and almond milk? thx lol
Never mind I found my answer
Oh good! I know feta is a no, but I *think* almond milk is okay. Hopefully you found your answers from a source more reliable than I am, haha. Good luck to you, Sarah!
On your crock pot beef roast with carrots and WT Rancher steak rub – did you just do Beef, carrots, a little liquid, and the seasoning? Thinking I will try it this week!
Yep! That’s exactly what I did, Jill. I add about 1/3-1/2 cup of water and shake a bunch of Rancher’s Steak Rub on until it looks as seasoned as you’d like it.
Is it still possible to get the 145 Wildtree recipes from All Things Wildtree? When I click the link, I get a message that the website is not available.